DTH Jon was looking through his counterpart's bedroom. He had just spent the past quarter of an hour, again explaining to Zoe and Athena about the DTH and how it worked. He deliberately didn't mention the stone this time to protect the native Jon's privacy from his sister. Now the two Zoes were alone he doubted his travelling companion would want to keep it a secret. Athena had disappeared downstairs to make some herbal tea and try to come to terms with the concept of the multiverse.
Karyn stood at the door watching Jon as he pulled items of clothing from the wardrobe and the dresser. "I can understand you needing clothes, but why do you want me to watch you?" She asked him.
He looked under the bed and pulled out a pair of trainers. "As a witness to prove I only took the clothes."
"I think Jon keeps money in there." She said pointing to a drawer on his night stand. Jon shook his head. "You said you didn't have any."
"It's not mine to take. I'm not entirely happy about taking these clothes as it is."
"You're Jon right? Isn't it yours too?" She asked.
"No. Another version of me stealing personal items from yet another version of me caused a lot of trouble recently."
"I see." Karyn said, not fully understanding. Jon checked his dresser again. "What are you looking for?" She asked.
"My favourite shirt." He told her.
"The one with the hole in the sleeve?" She asked. Jon nodded. "My Jon was wearing that earlier when I saw him."
"Makes sense, I suppose." Jon said somewhat disappointed. He pulled out another shirt. He started making his way to the bathroom to change out of his torn female clothing. Karyn blocked his path.
"You know this has been quite interesting. Finding out about different dimensions and stuff. It must be so much fun to travel to them." She said.
"I suppose 'fun' is one word for it."
She twirled a strand of blonde hair round her finger. "I, I could come with you." Jon stopped trying to get past her.
"I'm sorry, I'm not your Jon." He said as he tried not to hurt her feelings.
"If you hadn't been disguised as a girl, I wouldn't have been able to tell. You are pretty similar. The only difference is you seem to be a bit smarter."
Jon smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment." He looked into her eyes. "What I'm trying to say is, I have my own Karyn who travels with me."
"Yeah, I don't mind travelling with another Karyn. It would be someone I could relate to."
"I think it would make things easier if there was just one of each of us." Jon explained.
"That's not fair. There is another Jon in your group already."
"We are only hopping with Jon, Zoe and Athena until we can find somewhere to take them. Five people is already putting a massive drain on the DTH's power supply." She turned away from him, unable to face him.
"Fine! You've made your feelings clear." He put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Karyn. I have to have rules, well guidelines at least. Maybe if you discussed it with my Karyn..." She stepped away.
"I said fine. You don't want me, I understand." She stood away from the door.
The two Zoes were currently sitting on Goth Zoe's bed staring at each other silently. "This is so fucking weird." Goth Zoe said breaking the silence. Zoe sighed.
"Do you have to swear so much? You aren't impressing anyone. It's just me here."
"Sorry." Zoe was surprised by her apology. "It's just a habit I've got into to. It's the only way people pay fu...," she stopped herself swearing again, "much attention to me."
"Is that why you became a Goth? You want people to pay attention to you?" Zoe asked.
"I guess. I'm not much of a Goth anyway. I like dark clothes." She looked at Zoe's natural hair colour. "I like having dark hair. I wear light make up to complement that. Apart from that I'm pretty much the same person I've always been."
Zoe looked around. The bedroom didn't look too different to her own. It wasn't full of Goth paraphernalia. It wasn't even decorated in particularly dark colours. "Ever since I seen you in Jon's family photo, I've been making a lot of assumptions about you. It looks like I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Thanks, I guess." Goth Zoe told her uncertainly. She was unsure why someone she just met was apologising to her. "So, I get you are from another dimension but going by the way you are dressed, your life is a lot different from mine."
"Not as different as you'd think. You really want to know?" Zoe asked. Goth Zoe nodded.
"The only difference is Jon doesn't exist. I'm the eldest."
"So what you are saying is in a world where my big brother doesn't exist, I don't suffer from insecurity or..." She didn't want to admit it.
"Attention seeking behaviour?" Goth Zoe looked downwards.
"Yeah." She admitted somewhat sullenly.
"Pretty much."
"When I next see him, I'll murder him, so I can have a successful life." Goth Zoe said with a smile. Zoe was shocked. "I'm joking." Zoe was relieved Goth Zoe was just trying to be funny, she smiled herself.
"I don't think it is quite that simple anyway. I have issues with my own insecurities too. That's the main reason I got Jon with the DTH to help me. I couldn't deal with the thought of losing my place in the family to another version of him in my dimension." She admitted. Goth Zoe looked confused, not being fully aware of all the events that had happened recently to Zoe. Zoe could tell. "It's complicated. Just take it from me, there are some pretty big similarities in our life."
"What about friends? Do you know Athena in your world?" Goth Zoe asked innocently.
Zoe answered through gritted teeth. "I know her all right. We were friends but we drifted apart. We met up again recently."
"You did? How did you get on?" Goth Zoe asked.
"Good to start off with," Goth Zoe smiled, "then she betrayed me and caused a chain of events which has possibly destroyed our world."
"So lukewarm?" Goth Zoe asked. Zoe had to chuckle. "I can't imagine my Athena ever betraying me."
"Maybe I should give your Athena the benefit of the doubt but what my Athena did, well it makes it hard for me to trust any version of her." Zoe paused. "Look, just don't let her anywhere near the stone, to be on the safe side."
"What stone?" Goth Zoe asked.
